EPA proposes ban on working-class chemical linked to fatal health risks

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a ban on most uses of methylene chloride, a solvent in adhesives, paint and coating products that is known to cause serious health risks and even death.

“The science on methylene chloride is clear, exposure can lead to severe health impacts and even death, a reality for far too many families who have lost loved ones due to acute poisoning,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement Thursday.

The agency says at least 85 people have died since 1980 from acute exposure to the “dangerous chemical” — with some cases even involving the deaths of people “trained and equipped with personal protective equipment.”

“That’s why EPA is taking action, proposing to ban most uses of this chemical and reduce exposures in all other scenarios by implementing more stringent workplace controls to protect worker health,” Regan continued.

“This historic proposed ban demonstrates significant progress in our work to implement new chemical safety protections and take long-overdue actions to better protect public health.”

Though the EPA banned the use of methylene chloride in consumer paint removal products in 2019, the chemical can still be found in consumer, commercial and industrial settings.

Dichloromethane is in aerosol degreasers, brush cleaners for paints and coating, adhesives and sealants.

The neurotoxic liquid — which is colorless and volatile — has been linked to eye, skin, liver and heart problems. Symptoms include dizziness, nausea, drowsiness and numbness or tingling in the limbs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The agency says the chemical can also cause certain cancers.

The EPA introduced its proposal Thursday under the Toxic Substances Control Act, a law that took effect in 1976.

The proposed ban would phase out the manufacturing, processing and distribution of methylene chloride for all consumer uses and most industrial and commercial uses within 15 months. There are similarly priced and effective alternatives available, the agency stated.

In scenarios where the use of methylene chloride would not be banned, the EPA is proposing a workplace chemical protection program with “strict exposure limits to better protect workers.”

NASA, the Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration would be allowed to continue using the chemical.

Wendy Hartley’s son, Kevin, died in 2017 after inhaling methylene chloride while refinishing a bathtub. The Tennessee mom is applauding the EPA for the proposed ban.

“No mother should have to face that,” she said in the EPA statement, about her child’s untimely death. “The EPA is proposing to ban its use as a commercial bathtub stripper once and for all, and I urge the agency to quickly finalize the rule and make sure no other mother has to go through what I did.”